News and press releases

The  final report  by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the 7 October 2018 general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina highlights the lack of proper follow-up to previous ODIHR election-related assessments and recommends a comprehensive review of legislation to

WARSAW, 25 January 2018 – Enhanced educational efforts and stronger condemnation of anti-Semitism and all forms of intolerance must be part of any commemoration of the Holocaust, OSCE officials said ahead of Sunday’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and Rabbi Andrew Baker, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism, stressed in a statement today that this was the truest way to commemorate the victims of genocide under the Nazi regime...

In response to the announcement of SDA’s initiative to challenge the name of the Republika Srpska, the OSCE Mission to BiH notes that the Dayton Peace Agreement and the BiH Constitution clearly recognize two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. The OSCE Mission encourages SDA leadership and all parties to find constructive ways to improve dialogue, understanding and trust between the Constituent Peoples.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. Man injured by small-arms fire during repair works near the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station. Apartment building in Chermalyk hit by small-arms fire. The Mission saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted at a compound near Perevalsk in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region. In Uzhhorod, Kharkiv and Dnipro, the Mission observed public gatherings on the occasion of the Day of the Unity of Ukraine.

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. • Small-arms fire damaged a functioning kindergarten in Chermalyk. • The Mission saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. • The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. • Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted at a checkpoint near Yasynuvata.* • The SMM followed up on reports of an incident at a newspaper office in Kherson. • In Kyiv and Chernivtsi, the Mission observed public gatherings on the occasion of the Day of the Unity of Ukraine.

CHISINAU, 23 January 2019 – In meetings this week with senior officials in Moldova, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) stressed the importance of holding transparent and fair elections, noting that the conduct of the 24 February parliamentary elections would be watched closely by the OSCE PA and other international observers...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons was 8,227 at both BCPs. The overall number of border crossings by persons decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.